


The Two of Cups

by natsing



Category: Cassandra Palmer Series - Karen Chance
Genre: F/M, Romance, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-06-09 07:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15262833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natsing/pseuds/natsing
Summary: Cassie is debating the tarot spread- a little drabble Dajuan came up with on Tumblr.Spoilers for RTS





	The Two of Cups

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OverlyCaffeinatedWarmage](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OverlyCaffeinatedWarmage/gifts).



The pack of cards stared at me, a single card had popped out of the top as I’d been holding it, the same one I’d had three times today, the card chimed again

‘The Two of Cups Upright: Unified love, partnership, attraction, relationships.’

The card began a long tirade on the underlying meanings, how it fit into a spread and the reverse meaning. I’d heard it all before, and hastily stuffed the card back in or I’d never hear the end of it.

I sighed, tucked the pack back in my nightstand drawer and paced the room. I knew what the card was trying to tell me, of course I did, it was no coincidence that as soon as Pritkin was back in the present and whole and healthy and looking at me with big longing eyes while he recovered, that the cards would choose now to advise the oncoming of a new relationship. I had, after all, already professed my love to him.

I finished pacing and grabbed the drawer bringing the pack back out, slightly greasy with age, the enchantment still held well after all these years and it was never wrong, a tarot weather vane pointing towards the next big event. I opened the pack and the card popped out, another clear chime and the card started its round again. I slumped on the bed, pushing the card back into its home and stared at my door. It hadn’t even been a week yet, but it was quiet since Ares had been defeated, the court was being rebuilt here in the Penthouse Suite at the still closed Dante’s. There hadn’t been a single crazy event since I received the book from Mircea, which sat ominously on the small table stuffed in the corner of the room by the sliding doors to the small balcony. 

I knew the reason I doubted the tarot, if I ignored the challenge Pritkin would be outed, and I couldn’t put him in that position and yet if I helped Mircea he would continue to push me for more, he couldn’t help himself, he would blackmail me over and over. I’d yet to tell Pritkin as he was recovering, and that was more important than this right now and if I told him, then our relationship may never get off the ground. I stood up and grabbed the book off the table, the copy was beautiful, elegantly bound in leather and heavily illustrated, it would have been a lovely gift in other circumstances. I slammed the book back on the table, suddenly furious with Mircea all over again. I had a wicked thought and just as I was about to shift out and confront him, there was a soft knock on the door.

I looked up, the sky outside my room was awash with the colours of sunset, pinks, blues, oranges and purples stretched across the sky, giving way to deep blue as night descended. I stared out as I got my temper back under control, whoever knocked may have to wait or risk losing their head. A minute passed as I breathed in and out, looking at the beautiful sky over Vegas. The knock came again, more forceful this time. I straightened my shoulders and spun round to answer the door. I don’t know who I was expecting, but I’d never have thought it was him.

He’d had a shave, but obviously not today, as light stubble covered his chin, his hair was floppy, having grown out over the last few weeks, and was soft, pushed back from his face haphazardly, making him look anything but my Pritkin, but those eyes burned at me, so beautiful and very sure of themselves. He’d looked at me like this when he woke up, but the past few days I’d tried to avoid his room, he needed to recover and I wasn’t helping by hanging around. I’d popped in once or twice but I’d not been able to speak to him.

‘Hi, how are you?’ I asked careful, controlled, scared.

‘Fine, better; you look angry. Is everything ok?’ He looked concerned, he took my hand in his, making my breath catch in my throat and my heart beat speed up, his hands cradling mine gently.

‘Yes, I was just thinking of something I need to sort.’ The flash of anger and hurt at Mircea returned, our relationship may be over, but I’d thought I was more important to him than reaching for blackmail to get his way.

‘May I come in? you can tell me about it’ He was being extra careful with me I noticed, the bullish attitude seemingly all gone now he no longer had the weight of a lifetime of servitude or a certain death hanging over him. It was charming, endearing and completely unlike Pritkin.

‘Why are you being so kind?’ I practically whispered at him, my head dropping to the floor, confusion and guilt warring inside me, I had to tell him, and he was being so nice.

‘I’m here to talk Cassie, I just didn’t want to spook you.’ He lifted my chin to look back at those eyes which had helped me fall for him, full of hope. I let him in, closing the door behind us and rested against it. He sat on the end of the bed, no invitation behind the movement, just somewhere close and obviously he wasn’t 100% better as he’d have stayed standing otherwise.

‘What do you want to talk about?’ I asked, trying hard not to bring attention to the book I’d left on the table, noticeable as the only item on display in the room.

‘Us, I know you’ve been avoiding me and I understand, but I have to say something and I need you to hear without anything else in the way.’ I thought I knew what was coming, I had finally opened up to my emotions and I was beginning to realise I’d always known his.

‘I’m listening.’ I all but whispered at him, my heart was beating faster again, I was scared I was wrong, second guessing myself like I always did, what if he had come to say he was leaving?

‘Cassie, I know there’s something important you’re not telling me, probably to save me worrying about it, but I need to know, I love you and I want us to be together, and I think you do too.’

I had been looking at the bed spread, watching his elegant fingers as they worried at the edges while he spoke, I wondered if it was a nervous reaction; I didn’t remember him ever being nervous before. I looked at him now though, really looked at the man who had wormed his way into my heart and taken over. He was handsome, large nose and all, more so than I’d given him credit for when we’d first met, a few lines of age on his forehead where he scowled more often than he laughed with lashes and eyebrows so blonde they were almost invisible. The stubble, a little darker then his hair gave his jaw a stronger set than it had clean shaven, not that I saw it that way often, his clothes were always crumpled and he often had potion stains on his hands and his hair was mostly styled in those stupid spikes and he smelt like magic and gunpowder and yet I loved all of it.

I moved over to him, words couldn’t explain how I felt, I’d told him I loved him, it was as true now as it had been last week, so I reached for him instead, leaning over to place a gentle kiss on his lips, soft and cautious; we’d kissed many times before, mainly out of desperate necessity or during the heat of battle or the end of the world but never in the quiet and calm of my bedroom.

He deepened the kiss, pulling me on to his lap, legs either side of his body on the bed, and evidence of his desire beneath me. His kissed me like he did most things, hard and passionately and it took my breath away. I finally had to come up for air and stared into his eyes, the black of his incubus melting the green away but I was no longer scared of that part of him and I smiled at him, watching crinkles appear around his eyes. I wanted to see him smile more, but I knew I had to mention the elephant in the room.

‘I do have to tell you something.’ I said, his smile faded replaced with his usual scowl.

‘What has he done?’ I knew Pritkin couldn’t read my mind, but what else could it have been that would ruin a moment like this.

I stood up, Pritkin’s hands reluctantly letting me go and picked up the book bringing it back over to him.

‘When you woke up Rian handed me this, a gift from Mircea’ I showed him the cover and watched confusion give way to realisation. ‘He wants me to go back in time and save his wife before she died and bring her forward in time. He’s blackmailing me with your identity to force my hand and he’ll keep doing it for everything he wants me to do.’ I slumped down next to Pritkin on the bed, the book on my lap, I felt trapped and unhappy and angry like I had when I first received it.

I wasn’t expecting the laugh, in fact I thought I was hearing things, my head shot up looking for the ghost that must have joined us in the room but it was Pritkin who was laughing, like I’d never heard before, shaking his head at me.

‘Is that all?’ He managed to force out between guffaws. ‘Let’s beat him to it, I’ll get Jonas to call a press conference, he can’t out me if I’m already out and then you don’t owe him anything.’

‘You can’t do that, you’d hate it so much as a living legend, being famous and hounded by the press, the corps and any witch or mage who happened upon you in the street!’

‘I don’t care Cassie, sure it’ll take some getting used to but maybe some will think twice before attacking the Pythia, if Merlin himself is her bodyguard.’ He looked so sure and way more relaxed than I was expecting, I found myself smiling at his surety and the bright laughter, I thought it was the best sound I’d ever heard.

‘Are you sure, really?’ I asked, hope blossoming, maybe this could work maybe we could be happy.

‘Yes, I’m sure. I want you and I will do anything to get you.’ He said, taking my hand in his and rubbing his fingers over my knuckles in a possessive manner, I wanted those hands everywhere, I wanted him like I’d never wanted anyone before.

‘I love you John Pritkin.’ I murmured into his mouth as I went for a kiss, pushing him back on the bed, I heard the book and packs of cards hit the floor and the distinct chime of the tarot as the cards popped open as I scrambled to pick them up:

‘The Two of Cups Upright: Unified love, partnership, attraction, relationships.’


End file.
